Place setting packer



March 11, 1969 I J. P. OLEARY 3,432,026 7 PLACE SETTING PACKER Filed April 7, 1965 Sheet ofz INVENTOR, {5) EAQY March 11, 1969 J. P. OLEARY 3,432,026

PLACE SETTING PACKER Filed April 7, 1965 Sheet 3 of 2 United States Patent 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLUSURE Shipping and/or packer for an assortment of pieces of ware of different shapes and ranges of sizes, as in a placesetting; molded from expanded plastic. A central base has upstanding walls for the various ranges of ware size, molded on either side to permit both sides of base to be used for carrying and displaying ware and to provide base with optimum strength and stilfness. Ware is held on base by tape passing through slots in upstanding walls, rather than by the walls, the tape preferably being under sufficient tension to impress the feet of ware into the expanded plastic, thereby effectively individualizing each packer base to the ware taped on it.

This invention relates to a support for holding dinnerware place settings for shipping and display purposes, and to an assembly including such support and the pieces of the dinnerware place setting.

Prior to the present invention, cushioning packings have been made of expanded foam material molded to provide recesses conforming substantially exactly to the particular contour and size of each of the several pieces of ware in a place setting of a particular shape (the term shape, as used in this specification, meaning the corresponding configurations of pieces of ware in a set, as contrasted with a pattern, i.e., the corresponding surface decorations of the ware). However, usually the corresponding dinnerware pieces of different shapes have significant variations in size and/ or contour, so that a packing support designed for a place setting of one particular shape could not be used for another. Consequently, different molds had to be provided for a place setting (usually a five-piece setting comprising a dinner plate, a salad plate, a bread-and-butter plate, a cup, and a saucer) of each ditferent dinnerware shape. Also, the packing and shipping of the dinnerware at the factory were complicated by the necessity for keeping on hand an inventory of the diiferent cushioning supports for the place settings of each different dinnerware shape manufactured and shipped.

The present invention is directed to a novel and improved shipping and display cushioning support or packing of this general type which overcomes the foregoing disadvantages because of its adaptability for use with a wide variety of shapes of dinnerware, as well as to a novel assembly including such a cushioning support and the dinnerware set which it holds. r

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved cushioning support or packing for holding a dinnerware set for shipping or display purposes.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a support with which flexible adhesive tape may be used to strapdown the individual pieces of the dinnerware set.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a support which minimizes the possibility of chipping or other damage of the dinnerware.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a support which is adapted to be deformed by the dinnerware pieces when they are strapped in place and by such deformation to more firmly secure the pieces in place.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel assembly of a cushioning support, a dinnerware set, and straps holding the dinnerware on the support.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently-preferred embodiment thereof, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan of a support in accordance with the present invention, showing the hold-down straps in phantom;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the same support, also showing the straps in phantom;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1, with the pieces of the dinnerware place setting and the hold-down straps shown in phantom; and

FIGURE 4 is a similar fragmentary view taken along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 1.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 3, the present support is an integral one-piece molded structure of expanded polystyrene foam or other material having equivalent cushioning characteristics combined with structural rigidity in the absence of a substantial pressure tending to deform it. It comprises a thick, relatively stiff, flat, oblong base 10 of generally rectangular outline, with rounded corners. Extending up from the base 10 and formed integral therewith are a plurality of walls which define generally circular recesses 11, 12 and 13 for receiving three pieces of the dinnerware place setting.

The largest of these recesses, 11, is defined by a pair of outer arcuate walls 14 and 15, respectively, extending across the upper and lower corners at the left end of the support base 10 in FIG. 1, and an inside arcuate Wall 16 extending for almost a half-circle opposite the outer walls 14 and 15. At the opposite longitudinal edges 10a and 10b of the base 10 (the upper and lower edges in FIG. 1), the respective opposite ends of the inner Wall 16 are spaced from the adjacent ends of the outer walls 14 and 15 to provide relatively wide slots 17 and 18 for passing a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape strap shown in phantom at 19.

concentrically located with respect to the upstanding arcuate walls 14, 15 and 16 is an opening 20 in the base 10 to reduce the weight of the support. Between this opening 20 and the arcuate walls 14-16 the base 10 itself presing 20 and the arcuate walls 1416 the base 10 itself presents a plurality of circumferentially spaced, flat, raised surfaces 21, 22 and 23 and flat depressions 24, 25 and 26 between them. The depressions 24, 25, 26 are coplanar with the top face of the support base 10. As shown in FIG. 3, these raised surfaces are spaced above the level of the depressions by only a small fraction of the total depth of the recess 11 which is bounded by the upstanding walls 14-16. In the particular embodiment shown, this recess 11 is sufficiently large to accommodate any dinner plate 27 (FIG. 3) within the standard range of sizes, with the top edge of the plate disposed below the level of the top edges of the walls 14-16 on the support.

The recess 12 at the lower right corner of the support in FIG. 1 is partially defined by an upstanding arcuate inside wall 28, which for part of its extent is contiglous to, and joined directly to, the inside wall 16 for the dinner plate recess 11. An upstanding outer wall 29 extends arouately across the lower right corner of the support base 10 and is spaced from the adjacent end of the inner wall 28 at the longitudinal edge 10b of the support base 10 to provide a slot 30 between them for passing a second pressure-sensitive adhesive tape strap 31. Another upstanding outer arcuate wall 32 is disposed between the opposite ends of walls 28 and 29, being spaced from the upper end of the inner wall 28 in FIG. 1 to provide a slot 33 for passing the second strap 31.

At this second recess 12 the base of the support has a circular opening 34 concentrically located with respect to the upstanding walls 28, 29 and 32. Between this opening and these walls the base 10 presents alternate raised fiat surfaces 35, 36, 37 and flat depressions 38, 39 and 40 between them, similar to the raised surfaces and depressions at the dinner plate recess 11 as already described.

In the particular embodiment shown, the second recess 12 is of a size to receive any saucer 41 (FIG. 3) within the standard size range, with the top edge of the saucer below the level of the top edges of the upstanding walls 28, 29 and 32.

The third recess 13 at the top of the support is defined by an upstanding, arcuate, inner wall 42 and a pair of spaced, upstanding, arcuate, outer walls 43 and 44. The inner wall 41 for part of its extent is contiguous to, and joined directly to, the inner wall 16 of the dinner plate recess 11, and at its lower end in FIG. 1 is contiguous to, and joined directly to, the inner wall 28 of the saucer recess 12. The arouate outer wall 43 at this third recess 13 is spaced from the adjacent end of the inner wall 42 at the longitudinal edge 10a of the support base to provide a slot 45 for passing the second strap 31 at this edge. At its lower end in FIG. 1, the outer wall 44 of this third recess 13 is contiguous to, and is joined directly to, the outer wall 32 of the saucer recess 12.

As best seen in FIG. 4, this third recess 13 has a flat horizontal bottom wall 46 which is disposed a substantial distance below the base 10 and is connected integrally thereto by an arcuate side wall 47 extending down from the base and forming almost a complete circle. The inside face of this depending wall 47 is aligned with the inside faces of the upstanding walls 42, 43 and 44. The depending wall 47 has an opening 48 therein disposed toward the right end edge 100 of the base and registering with the gap between the adjacent ends of the upstanding walls 43 and 44. The base 10 has an opening 49 at this gap which extends laterally to the right beyond the underlying edge of the bottom wall 46, as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 1, this third recess 13 is adapted to accommodate any cup 50 within the standard size range, with the bottom of the cup resting on the bottom wall 46 of this recess, and the cup handle 51 received in the opening 49 in the support base 10, and the top edge of the cup disposed above the top face of the support base 10 and below the top edges of the upstanding walls 42, 43 and 44. The second strap 31 passes through the slot 45 at the longitudinal edge 10a of the support base 10 and engages the top edge of the cup, as shown in FIG. 4.

Below the base 10 the support presents a downwardlyfacing fourth recess 52 (FIG. 2) which is located substantially directly below, and concentric with, the upwardly-facing dinner plate recess 11 at the top. This fourth recess is defined by four spaced arcuate walls 53, 54, 55 and 56 which are integrally connected to the base 10 and extend downward therefrom. These walls define a circular recess 52 which is of a size to receive any salad plate 77 within the standard size range, with the normally top edge of the inverted plate spaced above the level of the bottom edges of the depending walls 53-56, as shown in FIG. 3.

The adjacent ends of walls 54 and 55 are spaced apart to provide a slot or \gap 57 for passing the first strap 19 toward the nearby longitudinal edge 10a of the base 10. Similarly, near the opposite longitudinal edge 10b of the base, the adjacent ends of the walls 53 and 56 are spaced apart to provide a slot or gap 58 for passing this strap.

At this fourth recess 52 the support presents a plurality of ciroumferentially spaced, flat, raised or offset surfaces 59, 60 and 61 extending between the central opening 4 and the walls 53-56, and also flat depressions 6-2, 63 and 64 between these raised or offset surfaces. These depressions 62-64 are coplanar with the bottom face of the support base 10.

Below the base 10 the support presents a downwardlyfacing fifth recess 65 (FIG. 2) which is substantially directly below, and concentric with, the upwardly-facing saucer recess 12 at the top. This fifth recess is defined by a pair of spaced, arcuate, outer walls 66 and 67 and a longer arouate inner wall 68. These three walls are all integrally connected to the base 10 and extend downward therefrom. At its lower end in FIG. 2, the inner wall 68 is joined integrally to the depending side wall 47 of the cup recess 13. The adjacent ends of the walls 66 and 68 are spaced apart to provide a slot or gap 69 at the longitudinal edge 1% of the support base 10 for passing the second strap 31, as shown in FIG. 2. Also, the adjacent ends of the inside wall 68 and the other outer wall 67 are spaced apart to provide a slot or gap 70 for passing this strap.

These walls 66, 67 and 68 together define a circular recess 65 which is of a size to receive any bread and butter dish 78 (FIG. 3) within standard size range.

At this fifth recess 65 the support presents a plurality of circumferentially spaced, flat, raised or ofiset surfaces 71, 72 and 73 extending between the central opening 34 and the walls 6668, and also flat depressions 74, 75 and 76 between these raised surfaces. These depressions 7476 are coplanar with the bottom face of the support base 10.

In the use of this support the dinner plate 27 and the salad plate 57 are inserted in the respective recesses 11 and 52, and the first pressure-sensitive adhesive strap 19 is wrapped around the support to engage the top edge of the dinner plate and the top edge of the inverted salad plate 77, as well as the opposite longitudinal edges 10a and 10b of the support base. The strap 19 is under sufficient tension to hold these plates snugly in place in the respective recesses, even though ordinarily they will not engage the side walls of the recesses. The strap forces both plates inwardly against the support base to form grooves in the raised surfaces 21, 22 and 23 and 59, 60 and 61, respectively, of the support base, where these raised surfaces are engaged by the usual depending bottom beaded edge 27a or 77a on each plate. It will be noted that the force exerted by the strap on each dish is applied only to these raised surfaces, and not to the entire bottom surface of the respective plate recess. In the particular illustrated embodiment, at each of these recesses the raised surfaces occupy only about one-half the total surface area of the bottom of the recess. The pressure which is exerted on these raised surfaces by the bottom beaded edge on the respective plate is suflicient to deform these raised surfaces to provide arcuate depressions which are complementary to the bottom beaded on the plate, so that each plate is more securely anchored in place in the respective recess.

The second strap 31 produces the same action at the recesses 12 and 65 where the saucer and the bread-andbutter plate are strapped in place. Also, this strap forces the cup 50 inwardly against the bottom wall 46 of its recess 13, and this force is applied to the bottom wall through the bottom beaded edge 50a of the cup (FIG. 4), which has a sufficiently small total area that the pressure which it exerts against wall 46 will deform the material of the support to provide a complementary circular groove, so that the cup is more snugly held in place in this recess.

The slots in the walls of each recess which pass the respective tapes 19 and 31 enable/the tapes to bear in wardly against the respective dinnerware pieces when the tapes are applied under tension. At the same time, the walls of each recess extend above (or below) the respective dinnerware piece and effectively surround the latter to prevent damage. At both major faces of the support base 10, the inner walls 16, 42, 28 and 68, 47

extend across the full width of the base between its opposite longitudinal edges a and 10b, so that even if one or more of the dinnerware pieces come loose from the hold-down tapes they cannot bump into each other to cause chipping or cracking.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the particular embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings is well adapted for the accomplishment of the objectives of this invention. However, while a presentlypreferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible of other embodiments differing from the particular embodiment shown.

Iclaim:

1. A support for holding a dinnerware place setting, said support being composed of cushioning material and comprising a generally fiat base having a pair of opposite major faces and a pair of opposite longitudinal edges, and arcuate inner and outer walls attached integrally to said base and extending above and below the base and respectively defining recesses which are shaped and dimensioned to receive individual dinnerware pieces of the place setting, said inner walls extending across substantially the complete width of the base between its opposite longitudinal edges, the walls of said recesses defining slots which are open toward said opposite longitudinal edges for passing respective straps for holding the dinnerware pieces in said recesses.

2. A cushioning support for holding a dinnerware place setting comprising a generally flat base having a pair of opposite major faces and a pair of opposite longitudinal edges, and walls attached integrally to said base and projecting away from its opposite major faces and defining recesses which are shaped and dimensioned to receive respective dinnerware pieces of the place setting, said base at a plurality of said recesses presenting spaced raised surfaces at the bottom of the respective recess for engagement by the bottom of the respective dinnerware piece, said support being composed of cushioning material which is deformable at said raised surfaces by pressure of the respective dinerware piece thereagainst, and the walls of said recesses defining slots which are open toward said opposite longitudinal edges of the base to pass respective straps for holding the dinnerware pieces in place in the respective recesses.

3. A molded one-piece cushioning support for holding a dinnerware place setting comprising an oblong generally flat base having a pair of opposite major faces and a pair of opposite longitudinal edges, and arcuate inner and outer walls attached integrally to said base and extending above and below the base and respectively defining recesses which are shaped. and dimensioned to receive individual dinnerware pieces of the place setting, said inner walls being located toward the middle of the base along its length and extending across substantially the complete width of the base between said opposite longitudinal edges, the walls which are disposed toward the respective longitudinal edges of the base being spaced apart to define slots for passing respective straps for holding the dinnerware pieces in said recesses, said base at a plurality of said recesses presenting spaced raised surfaces at the bottom of the respective recess for engage ment by the bottom of the respective dinnerware piece, said support being composed of expanded foam material which is deformable at said raised surfaces by the pressure of the respective dinnerware piece thereagainst.

4. A cushioning support for holding a dinnerware place setting comprising a generally fiat base having a pair of opposite major faces and a pair of opposite longitudinal edges, and arcuate inner and outer walls attached integrally to said base and extending above and below the base and respectively defining recesses which are shaped and dimensioned to receive individual dinnerware pieces of the place setting, said inner walls being located toward the middle of the base along its length and extending across substantially the complete width of the base between said opposite longitudinal edges, the walls which are disposed toward the opposite longitudinal edges of the base being spaced apart to define slots for passing respective straps for holding the dinnerware pieces in said recesses, said support being composed of cushioning material, one of said recesses being a cup-receiving recess which is open at the base and is defined by arcuate side walls respectively extending upward and downward from the base and a bottom wall attached integrally to the downwardly extending side wall below the base.

5. A dinnerware place setting shipping or display assembly comprising a support including a base having opposite major faces and walls attached to said base and projecting away from said opposite major faces of the base and defining recesses, a plurality of dinnerware place setting pieces seated respectively in said recesses in the support, the Walls of said recesses defining slots which are open toward opposite side edges of the base, and straps wrapped around said support and passing through said slots and engaging the respective dinnerware pieces to hold the latter seated in the respective recesses.

6. A dinnerware place setting shipping or display assembly comprising a support of deformable cushioning material having a generally flat base with a pair of opposite major faces and a pair of opposite longitudinal edges, and arcuate inner and outer walls attached integrally to said base and extending above and below the base and respectively defining recesses, a plurality of dinnerware place setting pieces received respectively in said recesses, said inner walls extending across substantially the complete width of the base between said opposite longitudinal edges and completely separating the respective recesses on opposite sides thereof, the walls of said recesses defining slots which are open toward said opposite longitudinal edges of the base, and pressuresensitive adhesive tape straps wrapped around said support on opposite sides of said inner walls and respectively passing through said slots and engaging the top edges of the respective dinnerware pieces to hold the latter seated in the respective recesses.

7. A dinnerware place setting shipping or display assembly comprising a cushioning support having a generally flat base with a pair of opposite major faces and a pair of opposite longitudinal edges, and walls attached integrally to said base and projecting away from its opposite major faces and defining a plurality of recesses, a plurality of dinnerware place setting pieces seated individually in said recesses, said base at a plurality of said recesses presenting spaced raised surfaces at the bottom of the respective recess for engagement by the bottom of the respective dinnerware piece, said support being composed of cushioning material which is deformable at said raised surfaces by pressure of the respective dinnerware piece thereagainst, the walls of said recesses defining slots which are open toward said opposite longi tudinal edges of the base, and straps of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape wrapped around said support under tension and passing through said slots and bearing against the top edges of the respective dinnerware pieces to hold the latter seated in said recesses bearing against the raised surfaces at the bottom of the respective recesses.

'8. A dinnerware place setting shipping or display assembly comprising a molded, one-piece support having an oblong, generally fiat base with a pair of opposite major faces and a pair of opposite longitudinal edges, and arcuate inner and outer walls attached integrally to said base and extending above and below the base and respectively defining plurality of recesses, a plurality of dinnerware place setting pieces individually seated in said recesses, said inner walls being located toward the middle of the base along its length and extending across substantially the complete width of the base between said opposite longitudinal edges, the walls which are disposed toward the respective longitudinal edges of the base being spaced apart to define slots, said base at a plurality of said recesses presenting spaced raised surfaces at the bottom of the respective recess for engagement by the bottom of the respective dinnerware piece, and a pair of pressuresensitive adhesive tape straps wrapped around said support under tension and passing through said slots on opposite sides of said inner walls and bearing against the top edges of the respective dinnerware pieces to hold the latter seated in the respective recesses bearing against the raised surfaces at the bottom of the respective recesses, said support being composed of expanded foam material which is deformable at said raised surfaces by the pressure of the respective dinnerware pieces thereagainst.

9. A dinnerware place setting shipping or display assembly comprising an expanded foam support having an oblong generally fiat base with a pair of opposite major faces and a pair of opposite longitudinal edges, and arcuate inner and outer walls attached integrally to said base and extending above and below the base and respectively defining a plurality of recesses, a plurality of dinnerware place setting pieces individually seated in said recesses, said inner walls being located toward the middle of the base along its length and extending across substantially the complete width of the base between said opposite longitudinal edges, the walls of said recesses defining slots which are open toward the respective longitudinal edges of the base, said base at a plurality of said recesses presenting spaced raised surfaces at the bottom of the respective recess for engagement by the bottom of the respective dinnerware piece, said base being open at another of said recesses, said last-mentioned recess being a cupreceiving recess which is defined by arcuate side walls respectively extending above and below the base and a bottom wall attached integrally to the downwardly extending side wall below the base, and a pair of pressuresensitive adhesive tape straps wrapped around the support under tension and passing through said slots on opposite sides of said inner walls and bearing against the top edges of the respective dinnerware pieces to hold the latter seated in said recesses bearing against the bottom wall of the respective recesses, said raised surfaces being deformable by the pressure of the respective dinnerware pieces thereagainst.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,186,706 6/1916 Swift 206-57 1,757,192 5/1930 Hothersall 220-97 X 2,809,896 10/1957 Pierson et al. 20645.33 X 3,122,265 2/1964 Innis 206-4 X 3,181,698 5/1965 Knapp et a1 206-72 3,243,037 3/1966 Luertzing 20646 3,191,791 6/1965 Jackson 206-46 X MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. XR 206--65, 72 

